Adine
by starbrc
Summary: We all know what happens in the games. But what happens after? To the victors.


I'm running. Theres something chasing me, some sort of skeleton with the bones of the other tributes. Blood streaks down my face, flooding into my eyes and blinding me. Thats when the arrows start to pierce my skin. I scream and fall the the ground, extending my arm towards the cornucopia, towards the only other tribute in the arena, Jay, the tribute from my district. The gamemakers promised that two tributes could win. Uh. I shouldn't have believed them. Now I'm bleeding to die. I close my eyes and I scream louder. The arrows stop flying. Or at least, they stop flying towards me. My eyes only open when the cannon fires. The trumpets start to play, announcing my victory. My eyes fix on Jay's dead body. An arrow was lodged deep into his neck. I start to crawl towards it, the arrows in my leg preventing me from walking. The last time I knew, he was in the cornucopia. he must've come to help me. By the time I reach him, the dirt on my cheeks has been washed away by tears. I pull the arrow from his neck and wrap a scrap of fabric from shirt and wrap it around the wound, stopping the bleeding. The birds in the forest around us stop singing. The hovercraft must be coming to pick us up. The metal arms of it wrap around us and pick us into the sky.

I wake up screaming. I'm drenched in sweat. The blankets are wrapped around me and for a moment i think that i'm back in a net, like I was on the second day in the arena, when the girl from district 1 tried to kill me. I thrash my way out of them and fall onto the floor of my bedroom. My breathing is rapid and i sit there for a while, just breathing. Then I remember where I am. I let out a breath. I'm safe at home, in district 7, in my house at the victors village. I can't calm down though, the images of my friend lying dead in the grass haunts me. I stand up and grab a winter jacket from my closet. I put it on and walk outside of the house. The cold seems to bring me back to reality, so I come here almost every night. I sit on the steps to my house, staring at the stars. _  
_

Are they the same stars that were in the arena? The same ones that looked down on me every night? I shake, not from the cold, but from terror. I'm remembering the arena, the children I killed. I can see the face of the girl from district 12, she was my age, thirteen. All I can see is the ax that flew from my hand and ended her life. I see the boy from district 8, whos life I ended with a well aimed rock. I ball up my shirt and scream into it. For hours I sit on the steps, the images of the games playing in my mind. The door to the house next door opens. "You okay?" Another victor asks. i don't even bother to look up. "No." I walk back into my house.

I walk into the kitchen and look around in the cabinets for something to eat. I pluck a jar of olives from one shelf and eat them, one by one from the jar. I flip on the television to the capitol news channel. I hate watching it, but it's the only way I know whats going on. Caesar Flickerman is still talking about the games. He discusses how amazing my victory was. He talks about Jay's death. I shudder. I wasn't in love with the boy or anything, but he was my friend. He saved my life when I was trapped in that net..

I nearly spit out an olive when it's announced that my victory tour starts today. I scream at the ceiling, shouting all the curse words I can manage at it. Then I get into victor mode.

Victor mode is the state I go into in public. It's been a few months since the games, allowing me time to practice masking my emotions. I can't show how scared I really am.

I go into one of the house's bathrooms, tear off my clothing, and hop in the shower. After a few months I've finally figured out how it works. I press a few buttons and warm water starts pouring down on me. I massage shampoo into my hair and scrub myself down with soap. My stylist and prep team are nice, and I don't want to be to messed up for them. that and the fact that I don't want to be anyone from the capitol.

I step out of the shower about fifteen minutes later. I dry myself on and dress in a brown shirt and jeans. I then pull on a grey jacket and walk out of the house. My feet carry me into town. When people sew me, they duck into their houses and shut the doors behind them. I feel like crying, I survived for this! I killed to come back home. To give myself a life. But I tore my life away.

I sigh, putting on my mask of no emotion. I can't let them know I hurt so bad. I can't be weak. I want more than anything to crawl into bed and die. But I don't. Even with nothing to live for, I stay alive. Someone will stop hating me eventually.

I walk over to the town square. My blood chills as I remember. My reaping was here. So was Jay's. I spit on the ground when no one is looking. the shopfronts that line the place close quickly. First the bookstore , then the apothecary. I run to the bakery before it closes.

The person behind the counter, a girl about a year older than me, goes pale. "How can I help you?" She asks. I can see her trembling. I sigh. "A loaf of bread." I mutter, my voice low, somewhat shy. She nods and hands me a loaf of bread. I pay her and start to walk out. As I take a step out the door I hear her let out a sigh of relief. I freeze and turn my head. "I didn't want to kill those people you know." I say, my voice sad. She stays still. "If you see a girl named Nelly Linad, tell her i say 'hi' we used to come here on weekends" She nods. "O-okay."

As I walk back home, all I can think about is my life before the games. I remember Nelly, my sister. We used to go to the bakery on weekends and bun a loaf of bread. Then we'd spend the day doing whatever. Now she lives alone, with our mother. When I asked why she didn't want to live in the victors village with me she told me that 'Mom and I don't want to live with a killer.'." It broke my heart. I told myself I was staying alive to for them in the games. Now al I have is a empty house and a broken promise of a good life.

I notice the cameras the second I walk into the village. I curse under my breath and wlak into my house. My prep team and stylist are already inside, waiting. I sigh. This was going to be a long day.


End file.
